Super typhoon Haiyan, also called "Yolanda," ripped through the central Philippine provinces of Leyte and Samar on Friday, November 8th, causing massive devastation.[1] In its wake, thousands of people are rumored to have died, with many more displaced or uprooted.[2] With infrastructure seriously compromised, national and international aid efforts have focused on sheltering typhoon victims, providing them with food and water, and stabilizing resultant medical conditions. If you want to join the growing number of people who want to help in any way possible, here's how.
Edit Steps
Part One: Making Your Donation Count
- Don't give to any organization before seriously looking at its credentials. Sad and unfortunate as it is, there will always be people who are willing to exploit and profit from the outpouring of aid after a disaster like this. Consult a website such as Charity Navigator before giving to any aid organization you do not absolutely trust.
- Be suspicious of direct appeals from "victims." Do not give money to people who email you directly. Mostly likely, they are scam artists. Always go through an organization, no matter how gut-wrenching the direct appeal is.[3]
- Donate money, not goods, for the greatest humanitarian effect. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti or the 2004 South Asian tsunami, concerned citizens of the world donated shoes, medicine, clothing, and even food to survivors. Although well-meaning, this gesture can actually do more harm than good, especially if people giving aid are essentially dumping their unwanted goods instead of figuring out what's actually needed on the ground. Ill-fitting shoes and opened Neosporin containers will compete for extremely limited space on the runway in Tacloban with desperately needed food, water, and clothing, ultimately costing time, attention, and effort.[4]
- Do a bit of homework on the organization that you intend to support. After a traumatic disaster such as this, it's tempting to simply want to give, give, give without thinking much about what practical effect that gift is going to have. Here are some other pointers to help you do your homework when donating:
- Pay attention to how your money will be used. Aid organizations with specific promises — like those providing tetanus shots, for example — tend to be more reliable than those that make broader promises.
- When in doubt or hurried, give to a big, well-established aid organization. If you're at a loss for which organization or charity to give to, opt for a larger, popular one instead of a smaller, niche one. You can be more certain your donation — however big or small — will count.
- Consider making a donation to a well-vetted international aid organization. Many of the following aid organizations already have a presence on the ground in affected areas of the Philippines and are working to stabilize the humanitarian situation.[5] The following is a rundown of some of the most popular international aid organizations you can give to:
- Philippine Red Cross
- Unicef
- World Food Program
- Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
- Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development
- Give directly to the U.S. State Department, which will channel the donation to a Typhoon Disaster Relief Fund. If you are American and wish to give directly to the U.S. State Department, you may do so. Visit the State Department's blog or text AID to 80108 to give a $10 donation to the mGive Philippines Typhoon Disaster Relief Fund.
- Look for donation-matching opportunities. There are a number of governments and companies who are matching donations, effectively doubling the amount of money that you give. Look for these opportunities to make your donations matter even more.
- The government of Canada is matching donations by its citizens
- The UK government is matching donations by its citizens.
- AARP is matching donations.
- Several major companies are matching donations made by their employees. See if your company is doing the same.
Part Two: Going the Extra Mile
- Look for or share any information about missing persons. With infrastructure essentially ripped to pieces and aid organizations clamoring to make a difference, keeping track of who is affected can feel like a Sisyphusian task — one step forward, two steps back. Luckily, Google has set up a person finder page which you can access here. On this page, you can look for or provide information about persons affected by typhoon Haiyan.
- Visit your local Filipino community and ask for ways that you can help. Whether it's helping to mobilize a fundraiser or ship medical supplies directly to the Philippines, it should make a difference. Typhoon Haiyan directly affects persons on the ground, but also indirectly affects family, friends, and the larger Filipino community across the globe. Showing compassion and offering help is an important ingredient to the eventual recovery.
- Fundraise on your own. If you want to make a difference on your own time, you can always organize a fundraiser for charity yourself — nothing is stopping you. Of course, you'll need to provide proper documentation and paperwork, in addition to marshaling resources necessary for the operation, but it's more than doable if you've got the motivation.
